territorial waters

plural noun

: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

Examples of territorial waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The key shipping route, which Iran has effectively closed in response to US-Israeli strikes, lies in the two sides’ territorial waters. Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026 If approved, an Iranian boat escorts the vessel through the territorial waters around Larak Island. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026 But increasingly, vessels are taking a different route, to the north around Larak Island, placing them in Iran’s territorial waters and closer to the Iranian coastline. David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026 Separately, Qatar's Ministry of Interior announced a military helicopter had crashed in territorial waters and six of the seven on board had been found dead. Npr Staff, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for territorial waters

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of territorial waters was in 1841

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Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

territorial waters

noun plural
territorial wa·​ters
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

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